A critical reflection on “running to higher ground” narrative! Myth and Reality in Tsunami Warning and Response

This paper provides critical reflection on the transferability of local knowledge adoption to foreign lands and peoples. It also challenges the universal construction of and acceptance of “going to the higher ground” as means to save lives to avoid the tsunamis hitting the shore. Scientists and practitioners of tsunami preparedness and disaster management often promote the idea of “running to the higher ground” when physical and biological indicator of tsunami appears at beaches. Many peer-reviewed and grey literatures have discussed about the role of local knowledge (LK) of indigenous tsunami warning system that saved lives across the Indian Ocean from Simelue Island of Aceh. In Simelue Island, ‘only’ seven lives were lost as the people went to higher ground.

This research argues that the indigenous Smong (tsunamis) warning systems informed by TK in Semelue Island could still save the lives of the people in the island in future tsunami events. However, a critical analysis of the real merit of the LK in the context of Simelue Island needs to be made in order to be meaningful for the locals to deal with future tsunami risks. Informed by the recent findings from East Flores where several people who evacuated themselves to the nearby hills got killed and got buried by landslides as they soon after the 1992 Flores Earthquakes, this paper challenges the universal belief that “running to the higher ground” could save lives.